THE art of butchery should be recognised as a skilled trade and potentially a fine career.

So it is no surprise that Doug Ewen attracted candidates for the role of counter assistant in the new Blackburn Market.

What is a surprise is that a fair number of the applicants were graduates and managers, who let’s face it, should be offering their skills in different arenas.

The calibre of some of the applicants points to something disjointed in the jobs market.

Mike Damms, from the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, said we need more apprenticeships to equip people for a more diverse jobs market.

Many people believe we are producing too many graduates for the market but we should not be talking down the value of university education.

Mr Ewen’s experience points to the fact in East Lancashire the situation is worsened by the savage job cuts in the public sector.

Figures show that there are 6.8 people chasing every job at Blackburn's Jobcentre Plus and the future is bleak with hundreds of jobs cuts at Blackburn Council, the police and bed firm Silentnight battling a £100million pension fund black hole.

It's depressing but some good things are happening including the opening of the new market where people like Doug Ewen are being given the opportunity to practise their trade hopefully for many more years.